Our Management Team

Over the past few months, our leader, mentor, and friend, Wayne McLeod, fought a brave and fierce battle with cancer. Late in the evening, Friday May 14, 2021, Wayne passed away at home, peacefully and lovingly surrounded by his family. Wayne was an incredible and special person, jovial, giving, and self-less. He’ll be missed greatly, and all who had the honour of knowing him have many stories to share of his leadership, character, generosity, and humanity.

David White was born in Newfoundland in 1962 and began his aviation career in Canada’s Arctic in 1980. After six years in Frobisher Bay (Iqaluit), David moved to Ontario in January of 1987 to attend Centennial College in their Avionics Technician Program. David worked for various air operators in Ontario and became a licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer in 1990. At this time, he joined First Air and spent the next six years working for both First Air and Air Inuit, Makivic Corporation sister companies, in both technical and managerial roles. His main focus was on aircraft maintenance and modifications while supporting remote operations throughout Northern Quebec and Canada’s arctic. In 1996, David became an Avionics Instructor with the New Brunswick Community College in Moncton and attained his Adult Education Certificate from the University or New Brunswick over the next several years while teaching full time. In addition to teaching, David contracted as a support resource for both of the Makivic Corporation Air Operators as well as providing avionics support for a company operating a Twin Otter in Guinea, Africa.

In 2000, David moved to the next chapter of his aviation career by joining Transport Canada as a Civil Aviation Safety Inspector in Edmonton, Alberta. Over the next 9 years he was involved in regional and national oversight initiatives in addition to daily safety compliance interactions with companies in the Prairie Northern Region (PNR). In 2009, David became the Regional Project Manager for the implementation of Safety Management Systems. This role involved all aspects of SMS Implementation in the region as well as participating in National policy and program initiatives. In 2011, David was promoted to the Executive ranks of Transport Canada and became an Associate Director of Operations. As one of three ADOs in PNR, David was based in Winnipeg and was responsible for all Air Operator, Airport Operations, and Aircraft Maintenance Organization Certificates in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Nunavut. During his five years as ADO, David was regularly called on to act as the Regional Director of Civil Aviation for PNR. In 2015, he was approached to become more involved with national programs and acted as the Director of Standards as well as the Executive Lead for Regulatory Program Modernization over the next year. David remained committed to improvement through education and during his time at Transport Canada and completed multiple internal regulatory and executive courses as well as achieving a Certificate in SMS from SCSI and a Masters of Arts in Leadership from Royal Roads University. While David enjoyed his time at Transport Canada and remained committed to the safety and compliance objectives they strive for every day, he decided to join the aviation industry in a role that would allow him to pursue these Safety, Compliance, and Quality objectives in the private sector. In July of 2016, David joined Exchange Income Corporation (EIC) as their new Vice President Aviation, Safety and Integration.

David’s role at EIC allowed him to work with their subsidiary Air Operators to strive towards a standard that exceeded the minimum requirements required by the regulator. David formed an internal Quality Assurance Program Community of Practice to assist in attaining and maintaining this standard. This initiative plus multiple other intercompany interactions between the wide varieties of EIC Air Operators allowed David to develop strong relationships between the Quality and Safety professionals within the companies as well as those in the flight operations, maintenance and executive roles of the various operators. These companies included existing companies as well as some new acquisitions since his arrival. In early 2018, David became the Executive Vice President Aviation for EIC and continues to encourage the same strong safety, compliance and quality goals that he has throughout his 30 plus year career in the aviation industry, with Transport Canada and with EIC.

In January 2022, David assumed the role of President and Accountable Executive of Keewatin Air LP.

Jason Kendall joined Keewatin Air in 2010 as an AME and became the DOM/PRM in January of 2013 after successfully passing the Transport Canada interview.

Jason started his career in 2000 working in the rotary wing field throughout Manitoba and Nunavut. Jason graduated from Stevenson Aviation in Southport, MB in 2004 and in 2005 moved into the fixed wing field where he has enjoyed the challenges and gratification of working in the air ambulance division.

Jason has over 15 years of experience as an aircraft maintenance engineer (AME) with substantial experience in remote operations. His experience maintaining aircraft in remote areas has given him exceptional skills with contingency planning and scheduling of maintenance events to optimize reliability facing the challenges of maintaining aircraft in remote areas, with long distance support.

Over the years he has gained experience maintaining fixed wing aircraft Twin Otters, Pilatus PC12, King Airs and Learjets. Jason maintains maintenance control over Keewatin Air’s 4 bases and is responsible for 27 employees; 6 apprentices, 15 AME’s (including 4 Production Managers), 2 parts personnel, 3 within the Q.A department and 1 Maintenance Manager.

Jena Steg joined Keewatin Air in 2019. As part of Keewatin's Executive Management Team, she is accountable for the financial and risk management operations of the company. She is also responsible for monitoring the financial and operational strategy for the organization.

Jena has over 10 years experience in financial and operational management. Prior to joining Keewatin Air, Jena worked in disaster management where she oversaw finance and fund operations for a national organization.

Jena became a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) of Manitoba in 2005. She received her CPA, CGA designation in 2013.

John Kliewer joined Keewatin Air in 2018. He provides senior leadership, strategy, operational continuous improvement, and organization development/excellence expertise to the management and staff of Keewatin Air. He also provides general human resources consultation and advice to the organization as appropriate.

In 1988 during his second year of studies at the University of Manitoba, John was accepted as an Officer Candidate in the Royal Canadian Air Force Reserves. In 1989, after graduating at the top of his class from the Canadian Forces Officer Development School, he received his Commission as a Second-Lieutenant. Over the next 14 years John completed over 3,000 missions as a Pilot, Flight Instructor, and Flying Standards Officer. As well, John was appointed to several command positions with respect to flight operations and training in Manitoba and Alberta. John also completed the Flight Safety/Accident Investigator Course with the RCAF Directorate of Flight Safety (DFS). Towards the later part of his service, John was attached to Air Command HQ in Winnipeg to support Provincial Operations in the Province of Manitoba. In 2006, John retired from the RCAF Reserves at the Rank of Captain, after having been awarded the Canadian Decoration (CD) Medal in 2004 for Long Service to the Canadian Armed Forces with exemplary conduct.

While serving in the military, John simultaneously completed his Science Degree at the University of Manitoba in 1990. Then in 1996, he began a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration at the University of Winnipeg. John went on to complete an advanced Certificate in Human Resources Management from the University of Manitoba from 2003 to 2005.

Being a ‘part-time’ military pilot allowed John to work in the private sector in the areas of organization/personnel development, and operations excellence. He held leadership and organization development positions in organizations ranging in size from 100 to over 1,000 employees. In 2011, John joined Manitoba Aerospace Inc., an organization supporting workforce, business/organization, and research/innovation development for the Province of Manitoba’s large aerospace and defence industries. In this position, John supported the CEOs, CFOs, and COOs of over 30 organizations in Manitoba, as well as organizations in Western Canada, and the UK. His support assisted these organizations to develop and implement world class management systems and methodologies, enhancing the ability of these organizations to be able to succeed in the very competitive aerospace and defence industries globally.

John has been a member of the association of Chartered Professionals in Human Resources Manitoba since 1997. He received the designation of: Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) in 2008. John currently volunteers with CPHR Manitoba as a member of the CPHR Awards of Excellence Judges Committee, which recognizes business and personnel innovation and excellence annually within the Province of Manitoba.

Ken Giesbrecht joined Keewatin Air in July of 2019 to assist with the Company’s Pilot training programs. Recently he has stepped into the Director of Flight Operations role. He brings 44 years of diverse Aviation and Governmental experience to Keewatin Air.

Ken has extensive experience in the roles of Director of Fight Operations, Chief Pilot, Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Accountable Executive, Elected President/CEO of the Canadian State Air Operators Association, Aviation Risk Manager, Aviation Consultant/ Technical Writer, Line Pilot and Flight Instructor.

With an excess of 9600 hours Ken has had the opportunity to work for several aviation organizations including two of our sister companies, Perimeter and Calm Air. He has broad flight experience throughout North America from the Artic to southern Mexico.

In his previous position Ken had the opportunity assist Transport Canada and companies from Israel, Japan and United States with technology and regulatory advancement. His belief in the teamwork concept and out of the box thinking allowed him to be a recipient of the Manitoba Government 2009 Service Excellence Award for Innovation.

Ken hopes to promote this teamwork and innovation philosophy at Keewatin Air and knows that honesty, integrity and humour play an import role in a healthy workplace.

Janice McLeod joined Keewatin Air LP in August 2019. Janice is responsible for our service and support to the Manitoba Government for General Air Charters. This includes liaising between Keewatin Air LP and the Government of Manitoba, working with Manitoba Governmental officials, day to day oversight of the Provincial Governments Air Charter needs, and ensuring Keewatin Air's standards for safety, efficiency, and executive charter services provides value to our customers, from the ground up (and back).

Janice has over 27 years of experience in aviation. Over her career she has worked for airline/aviation organizations in Northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba, as well as in Canada's arctic. While in the arctic, she first worked with Keewatin Air dispatching our medical teams and aircraft. Janice then spent 18 years working for the Province of Manitoba Services Branch (ASB) as part of the Executive Operations Team. With the privatization of ASB in 2019, including the awarding of a contract for air charter services to Keewatin Air, Janice was a natural fit for Keewatin Air LP in meeting its' goal of having an experienced individual take on the key point of contact role between Keewatin Air and the Manitoba Provincial Government.

Not scared of long hours and hard work, Janice is a hands on leader dedicated to providing Keewatin Air LP with her aviation expertise, while ensuring high quality service for all Keewatin Air contractual and a-la-carte air charter customers.

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